Question

What is the approximate measure of the diagonal of a rectangle with dimensions 17 cm by 4 cm?
a. 4.6 cm
b. 16.4 cm
c. 16.5 cm
d. 17.5 cm

Answer 1

17.5

Answer 2

This forms a right-triangle.
Using the pythagorean theorem:

\(\Large \color{MidnightBlue}{\Rightarrow a^2 + b^2 = c^2 }\)
c is the diagonal.
\(\Large \color{MidnightBlue}{\Rightarrow 17^2 + 4^2 = c^2 }\)
\(\Large \color{MidnightBlue}{\Rightarrow 289 + 16 = c^2 }\)
\(\Large \color{MidnightBlue}{\Rightarrow 305 = c^2 }\)

\(\Large \color{MidnightBlue}{\Rightarrow c \approx 17.5 }\)